


honorific is a heavy burden

by evanescent



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, kuroo and bokuto are senpai huh who would have guessed. no one, training camp shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 17:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4675550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evanescent/pseuds/evanescent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Like many things with Bokuto and Kuroo, this one starts out on a whim.</p>
<p>“I’m a third year captain and one of the best spikers in the country! Of course I’m a model senpai!”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah? And how come literally <i>no one</i> uses the honorific in regards to you?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	honorific is a heavy burden

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by the spoilers from the new hq chapter where apparently tsukishima calls akaashi "senpai" which is honestly the best thing since bokuto and akaashi official anime art (yesterday was a good day)

Like many things with Bokuto and Kuroo, this one starts out on a whim.

Akaashi opens the door to the third gym with a quiet, “Good evening” which gets lost among Kuroo and Bokuto’s heated discussion.

“I’m a third year captain and one of the best spikers in the country! Of course I’m a model senpai!” Bokuto hovers over Kuroo, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out.

“Oh yeah?” Kuroo snickers, doing one last stretch and getting up from the floor with a grin. “And how come literally _no one_ uses the honorific in regards to you?”

At that, Bokuto pouts even more. This is a touchy matter and Kuroo knows that, so of course he would bring that up.

“Well, it’s not like I hear you getting called senpai all the time, _captain_ ,” he retorts and spots Akaashi from the corner of his eye. His face lights up and Akaashi braces himself. “Akaashi! Good you are here! Tell Kuroo what a wonderful senpai I am!”

_Here it comes_ , he thinks.

“You certainly are a... unique upperclassman, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi states; his voice and choice of words are dry at best, though he means it. But he’s not falling for the senpai thing. He knows better than that.

Kuroo laughs and says, “Forget about Akaashi, he knows you too long and too well.”

“The same goes for you, Kuroo-san,” he adds, and hears a quiet snicker, or maybe a sneeze, and turns his head to see Kenma sitting at the other end of a bench and playing a game. He doesn’t look up at him, but Akaashi thinks he sees a twitch of Kenma’s lips and his own curl up slightly.

“Well, as much as it hurts me, I suppose it’s true.” Kuroo sighs dramatically and puts a hand on Bokuto’s shoulder. “Listen, we won’t get the respect we deserve from our fellow teammates. We need someone who will truly appreciate our efforts and mentorship. We need to be cool and work for it it.”

“Yeah, that’s right!” Bokuto nods and pauses then, looking almost thoughtful. “Who could that be, though…”

A moment later door behind Akaashi open again and he turns his head slowly, thinking, _This is the worst possible timing ever and I will probably feel sorry for you whoever you are_.

Tsukishima mutters indifferent, “Evening” and closes the door behind himself, so he doesn’t get to see the look on Bokuto and Kuroo’s faces. Akaashi does, however, and he wonders if this whole thing has taken turn from bad to worse.

…

Bokuto isn’t known as a master of patience, so it’s no wonder he’s the first one to strike, and therefore, fail.

After the practice ends, Akaashi and Tsukishima put down the net, and Karasuno’s player turns to third years with a simple, “Thank you.” Akaashi notes Tsukishima isn’t so stiff and uncomfortable as in the beginning, and he thinks it’s a good thing.

Bokuto smiles at him widely and exclaims, “Don’t worry about it, that’s what _senpais_ are for, isn’t it?”

The attempt is so plain and direct, and so like _Bokuto_ , Akaashi almost rolls his eyes; he’s positive Kuroo is holding back a chuckle. Tsukishima stares at them for a moment, mutters belated, “...anyway, goodnight,” and walks out of the gym.

Kuroo has enough decency to start laughing after he leaves, at least. Bokuto looks dejected, but that was to be expected.

Akaashi thinks the next days are going to be very tiring.

…

“Hey, Glasses-kun -- okay, Tsukishima-kun, don’t glare at me like that,” Kuroo says with a laugh that has a hint of nervousness to it, and Akaashi knows he screwed up at the very start and Kuroo knows that too, and he’s going to try to save his face now, “don’t you agree that freshmen these days aren’t as respectful to their upperclassmen as they should be? Like, I mean…”

Tsukishima, a freshman, glances at Kuroo, an upperclassman.

“Is that so, Kuroo- _san_ ,” he draws out the honorific, putting an accent on it. He spins a ball between his hands “That’s saddening. Ah, youth these days.”

Akaashi thinks the back of Kuroo’s neck goes a faint shade of pink, but he can’t be sure as Kuroo claps his hand there, rubbing at it with a silly grin. “Yeah. Exactly.”

“That was so embarrassing,” Kenma comments later on from where he is plopped down on a mattress with a new game.

...

When Hinata and Lev join them for practices, it only goes downhill from there on.

“Woah, Bokuto-san, that was so cool!” Akaashi always thought the phrase “starry-eyed” was somewhat of an exaggeration, but seeing Hinata, he needs to re-evaluate his opinion.

“Well, I’m not considered to be one of top five spikers for nothing.” Bokuto puts hands on his hips, looking every bit smug that he is not. “It’s cool to have a senpai like me, huh?” His eyes flicker between Hinata and Tsukishima.

“Yes! You are very cool!” Before Bokuto can take further advantage of this opening, Hinata rambles on, “There are so many great senpais here on training camp. Though, our senpais are the best, of course! Right, Tsukishima?” Hinata takes a little offensive stance, shooting glares at no one in particular, and then slams a palm against forehead, turning into opposite direction and not waiting for an answer. “I forgot! Lev, Noya-san said he’s gonna do some receive stuff with Yaku-san and that we should come!”

“He’s very prone to considering upperclassmen senpais,” Tsukishima explains, seemingly to Akaashi, but within Bokuto and Kuroo’s earshot as they watch two first years’ quick exchange. “And it’s hard for him to sit still.”

“I see.” Akaashi nods and watches as Kuroo pats Bokuto’s hunched back.

“Well, you almost had it, bro.”

…

“Tsukki, I have an important question for you.” Kuroo’s grin suggests he’s up to no good. “Who do you think is cooler, me or Bokuto?”

Bokuto gasps and turns his head so fast Akaashi worries he will get a whiplash. “Please be careful, Bokuto-san,” he says, knowing all too well that while Bokuto doesn’t ignore others on purpose, talking to him right now is like talking to a wall.

“Huh, Kuroo, what are you going on about? It’s obvious that I’m cooler! Like this is a question!”

“Weeell, that’s only your opinion, that’s why I’m asking. So, how about it?” Kuroo props his elbow into the net next to Tsukishima, probably demonstrating how cool he is, but, in Akaashi’s opinion, it has an opposite effect. It’s surprising he hasn’t gotten caught up in the net, though. “No need to worry, we will not have any hard feelings regardless of the answer, right, Dejected Mode-kun?”

“Yeah, of course!” It’s a lie, obviously, and as Bokuto leans his back into the net on the other side of Tsukishima, Akaashi stiffs a sigh. This is honestly getting ridiculous and he won’t stand for it any longer.

“Kuroo-san, Bokuto-san, please stop. You are making Tsukishima-kun uncomfortable.” Well, to be fair, Tsukishima doesn’t seem that troubled; if anything, Akaashi is afraid he might pick up the challenge and that’s the last thing Akaashi needs at the moment. His headache is getting more and more irritating with every minute without a new load of trouble. “That’s not how _senpais_ should act,” he decides to add at last, and that brings upon the expected effect. Kuroo and Bokuto suddenly seem unsettled, shuffling and looking at their feet.

“Yeah, sorry about that, you are right…” Kuroo scratches the back of his head and Bokuto simply nods.

“No hard feelings,” Tsukishima says, and even if he’s mocking them, it doesn’t sound like that. He puts his arms in front of himself, doing that little hand thing Akaashi noticed a couple of times. “Actually, since the training camp is coming to an end, I would like to express my… gratitude, I suppose, for inviting me to practice with you. It was a rare opportunity for someone like me.” He even bows, formal, which is quite unlike Tsukishima. “Thank you, Kuroo-san, Bokuto-san, Akaashi-senpai.”

For a moment, things are perfectly still and quiet, the realization sinking in.

_Oh_ , Akaashi thinks, and blinks, and all hell breaks loose.

**Author's Note:**

> i honestly like the idea of tsukki calling akaashi senpai out of actual respect as well as to spite kuroo and bokuto /laughs
> 
> and now i'm lowkey thirsty for some tsukiaka @ fandom pls deliver
> 
> ((also pls talk to me on [tumblr](http://yorozuyay.tumblr.com/) if you want to))


End file.
